OTTERVILE — Deon’s Otterville Inn, a newly opened restaurant and bar in Otterville, comes with a rich Mayfield family history, a family who has owned establishments in the area since 1974.
The newly remodeled inn, owned by Mayfield Farms and operated by Jimmie Deon and Amanda Mayfield, of New Lebanon, sits in the same location as the former Mayfield Inn, known and respected by locals for decades.
The original inn was purchased by A.C. and Dorothy Mayfield in 1974. It was then bought by cousins James Allen and Geraldine Mayfield in 1975. James Allen and Geraldine’s daughter Jerry was manager of Mayfield Inn from 1975 to 1997 when it closed due to her mother’s death.
Jerry Mayfield was on hand Thursday at Deon’s to discuss the rich heritage of the establishment along with her nephew Jimmie and his wife. Jerry’s parents purchased the inn about six months after A.C. and Dorothy bought it and they began remodeling the building.
Jerry said her parents remodeled the inn using a popular color of the era, red.
“Mom and them came in here and they made it like Maxine’s Bar and Grill (in Sedalia),” she added. “They made it beautiful and they made it red because mom like red.”
“It said Mayfield Inn in gold across the floor,” Jimmie added. “And, they had a gold disco ball, I guess that was the style back then.”
“They made it very elaborate, very elaborate, for Otterville,” Jerry added.
Deon’s decor is more subdued. It features warm ivories and browns and sets a more causal but metro ambience.
“It’s been extensively remodeled,” Jimmie said of the present building. “It basically looks like a Kansas City bar in Otterville. When most people walk they are like, ‘whoa!’”
The Mayfields have added a stone tile floor and complementary wood beams. The many windows allow for a well-lit room and a deck has been added to side of the building. Extra parking space was made available with the purchase of a lot to the east of the establishment.
“They tore down the old hotel here in Otterville and made a parking lot,” Jerry said.
Jimmie and Amanda said business has been good and visitors will find down-home comfort food plus bar food. The inn opens for breakfast at 6 a.m. and serves omelets and regular breakfast items.
“Everyone is being complimentary on the breakfast,” Jerry added.
Jimmie noted Deon’s was needed in Otterville. John’s Cafe closed several years ago and Pizza Express recently closed its doors, making Deon’s the only restaurant in town.
“(The locals) like the food and they are happy to have something in town,” Jimmie said. “For so long they had to go to Smithton or Syracuse or Tipton or Sedalia.”
Deon’s Otterville Inn has daily specials such as taco Tuesday where tacos are $1 all day, open-faced roast beef sandwiches, an 8-ounce steak special and fried chicken. Prices are comparable to other local restaurants. Monday through Friday Deon’s has draft specials and a happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m.
Jimmie and Amanda said they plan to introduce a line of desserts to the menu and offer live music in the future.
Deon’s Otterville Inn, located on old U.S. Highway 50 in Otterville, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday; it is closed on Sunday.
